You Killed Her
by The Lion in Disguise
Summary: Corvo wasn't able to save Emily, just as he wasn't able to save Jessamine. On his way out of The Isles, he is riddled with guilt and is paid a visit from the Outsider, with the truth about The Heart.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Dishonored.**

The sound of lightning crashed down over Corvo's head as he stalked up the abandoned stairs that led to the top of the light-house, the steps creaking under his immense weight as he walked slowly up the stair-case. His mask gleamed in the light provided by the weather, his dark eyes peering out of the glass almost like two empty pits, the emotions he once expressed with people whom he cared for was long gone. He wanted revenge. He wanted Havelock dead.

"Let me go!" He heard a young voice yell, anger in the words and yet fear traced them as well. "I am Empress!"

"Shut it!" Havelock. Corvo drew his blade and watched as the deadly weapon shone in the light, his eyes sparkling from behind the mask. The mask of a killer he knew it as, he wore it as he watched his targets fall down in a mirage of eternal sleep, as he watched the light ebb away from their eyes as their blood stains the floor. He once wanted to save Emily, to take her away from the people who killed her mother, who killed the woman whom he loved deeply. The scar Jessamine's death caused, though not physical, ran deep and would remain with him.

After rescuing the young heir to the throne from the Golden Cat and getting rid of the Pendleton Twins, Corvo changed drastically. He was more blood-thirsty, cutting down people whose deaths were not necessary; whose deaths would mean nothing in terms of his goals. Emily responded to his behaviour, as Callista had told him back in the Hound Pits. She was starting to show signs of becoming just like Corvo, a killer who thinks that any action can be justified in terms of their goals. Secretly he didn't want that, he wanted the little girl who always wanted to play hide-and-seek with him. Not possibly however, the past cannot be changed and neither can the future.

Emerging from the depths of the light-house, Corvo swung the blade around his right hand as the mark on his left glowed. He saw Havelock with a grip on Emily's arm as the young girl tried to defy him, trying to get away from the man. She turned and spotted her guardian stand there, his mask on the floor by his feet as he glared at the other man.

"Corvo!" She cried, before being apprehended by Havelock. A growl came from deep of Corvo's throat as he pressed forward, the blade in his hand was pointing at him dangerously.

"Don't come forward!" Havelock spat, moving towards the unguarded platform that led to a deadly drop. Emily looked at the drop and then back to Corvo, her eyes speaking of nothing but sheer fear. Looking at her reassuringly, Corvo then turned to Havelock and raised his left hand.

"Step away from the platform Havelock! Don't take Emily down to hell with you." He growled, moving forward with intention of taking the child away from Havelock. The other man thought different though, and moved closer to the edge so his hells skimmed off.

"At least I can see your precious Jessamine again! Tell me Corvo, did you enjoy watching her die from underneath your nose?" He spat. Corvo stared at him in shock before he felt a burning sensation on his hand, looking down only to see the Outsider Mark burning an intense blue. He looked back up at Havelock and Emily and raised his hand, swarms of black objects swarming around Havelock as he cried out in fright. He threw Emily away as he tried to fight off the horde of rats attacking his legs, the small girl losing her balance and fell over the edge.

"Emily!" Corvo yelled, rushing over to the gangplank as Havelock fell off the tower. Looking down to see Emily hanging off the edge, he kneeled down and reached out to grab her. However as his fingers grazed her hand, her grip loosened and with Corvo's name passed her lips, Emily fell to her death.

"No!" He cried out, watching as his last memento of Jessamine fall to the bottom. He remained there as the rain pelted hard against his back, his eyes staring at the rolling waves before he squeezed them shut. Sitting up straight as he stared up at the sky, a single tear fell down his face as the grey sky ripped apart, seams of blue appearing as the ground broke up from underneath him. He didn't move as he floated above the ground, his mind blank as Emily's voice rang in his ears.

_Corvo…_ It spoke soothingly, as if the young girl was right beside him. _Wake up…_

-f-

A gasp came from the former bodyguard as he stirred from the nightmare, his body broke out in a cold sweat as he continued to gasp. He stared down at his large hands and found them to be shaking violently, the skin cold and wet as if the rain from his dream soaked them in real life. He looked around the small room as he heard the cry of birds outside, the boat he was on rocking from side-to-side. Rubbing his dark eyes, Corvo removed the blankets and swung his legs so his bare feet touched the floor.

"Emily…" He whispered, placing his face in his hands while sitting in an aura of depression. The sound of the waves proved no comfort for him, as the sting of losing Emily, of not _protecting_ her ran deep. What he didn't hear was the faint song of whales coming from the cupboard in the corner of the room, the sound growing louder until it finally caught the attention of the bodyguard. Removing his face from his hands, Corvo let out a soft sigh and moved from his bed, walking briskly to the cupboard and opened it.

The whale song was indifferent as the doors creaked open, the rune projecting the sound sitting there with small particles flying around it. Shaking his head, Corvo traced the imprint that was carved cleanly into the bone before picking it up, his vision blurring slightly. He groaned and then turned around, finding the Outsider sitting in the air while watching him curiously.

"Do you want something?" Corvo asked in annoyance, not happy with the immortal following him after months of not seeing him. The Outsider said nothing and instead just stared, somehow analysing Corvo with his inky-black eyes.

"You have not done anything interesting over months." He spoke emotionlessly. A ting of fury hit Corvo in his stomach as his eye twitch in anger, looking away from the Outsider and settled on the window.

"I failed her…" He explained, forcing the words he had buried for months out of his mouth. "Emily is dead."

"Yes, but that was nearly a year now." The Outsider shrugged, crossing his leg over the other. "You should carry on. Be more interesting, that is why I gave you the gift of-"

"Gift." Corvo chuckled coldly, his fingers scratching at the mark on his left hand. "This is not a gift, it's a curse."

"Oh?" The Outsider spoke, raising an eyebrow at Corvo's words. Removing his eyes from the window, he stared back at the immortal man and raised his marked hand.

"This is not what I wanted, not what I asked for. It makes me sick just looking at it, just like that stupid heart!" He growled, pointing at the Heart that rested on his desk. It pulsed slightly just like a normal heart, but the sound of a woman's voice could be heard by both men. The Outsider just stared at it and then to Corvo, no emotions showing on his face as he spoke again.

"If the Heart is stupid, then why do you keep it?" He asked. Corvo froze as the question sunk in, his dark eyes casting over to the object that was bestowed to him by the immortal man. He moved over to it and picked it up, the voice of the woman entered his mind more clearly as the Heart pulsed softly in his hand.

"I hear a woman, she sounds so familiar. I… I just don't know who it is though." He whispered, still staring at the object thoughtfully. The Outsider uncrossed his legs and floated closer to Corvo, looking at the Heart and then to the bodyguard.

"You know her Corvo. That heart belonged to Jessamine." He explained, watching as the realization hit Corvo like a hard slap to the face. His mouth hung open as he dropped the object, the sound of flesh and metal hitting the wooden floor rang through the air and quickly disappeared. Staring at the hand that just held the heart of the empress, the heart of the woman he swore to protect, he felt bile rise in his stomach and turned away from it and the Outsider.

"All this time… It was Jessamine's heart that I held, her voice that I heard pouring secrets into my mind." He whispered, the truth like a bitter pill. He had trouble trying to swallow, trying to believe what the Outsider said was truth. "You lie!"

"Believe me dear Corvo, I wouldn't lie about something like this." The Outsider spoke, black debris floating around his being as he did. "I gave you a mortal heart, moulded by my hands."

"Only to leave out the bit about Jessamine?" Corvo hissed, turning to the immortal violently.

"It was not important."

"It was to me! It mattered everything to me that my love… my love's heart was with me, that her body was disrespected and her soul trapped!" Corvo spat, losing his composure with every second the Outsider was there.

"So what do you want? An apology? You were the one who failed to protect Jessamine, you were the one who failed to protect Emily." The Outsider spoke, leaning closer to Corvo as he stared straight into his void-like eyes. "You killed them, not me."

Corvo just stared in shock at The Outsider before turning away, his words struck deep as the rune in his hand scratched with the pressure. He didn't expect much from the Outsider, he was not human and so didn't feel human emotions, he only cared about people as long as they interested him. Not watching as the immortal man disappeared, Corvo opened the window and threw the rune into the rolling waves. He watched as the bone object sank into the depths of the ocean, moving away from it for a moment to grab the Heart. He paused for a moment as he stared longingly at the object in his hands, the voice of his love whispering into his mind.

_Do it Corvo… I will be alright… _It was soothing, like a mother talking her child into letting go of her. …_Release yourself of this guilt…_

"I love you…" He whispered, throwing the object into the rolling waves and watched as it sank along with the rune. He stood there for what felt like eternity before tearing himself away from the window, moving across the room and opened the room. He looked back at the window briefly before smiling, closing the door and living his life free of guilt.

"Silly Corvo…" The Outsider sighed, reappearing once the door closed. "Releasing Jessamine from the heart won't be as easy as that."

"For her spirit to be truly free, no one bearing my mark whom she feels intense love over will live. Isn't that right?" He asked, looking over at Jessamine as she sat on Corvo's desk. She glared at the immortal man and then sadly stared at the ground, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Leave Corvo alone, he has been through enough." She spoke, looking up at the Outsider. "He does not need to know."

"Very well."

**Well, that is what I made of the ending where Corvo didn't save Emily and the entire of Dunwall fell into chaos, I think I did good.**

**So review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I wasn't planning on making a sequel to this but considering you guys are asking and wanting more, I will write more.**

**I don't own Dishonored.**

Jessamine watched Corvo as he slept, as she had been for ever since her early demise. He hadn't been able to dream since then, thrashing around in his bed and gripping the sheets like a child having a terrible nightmare. It killed her watching him, not being able to caress his cheek and sooth him away from the dreams. She just sat and watched, the moonlight spilling through the small window and highlighted her face. The clothes she was wearing were the same, but the blood that soaked into the fabric had long dissipated.

_Corvo..._ She whispered, floating over to her lover's bed and sat there. The mattress made no indication to her weight, and remained the same as if she wasn't there. _Relax... I'm here..._

"N-No... No Jessamine..." The body-guard muttered, his arms twitching but otherwise remained gripping the sheets by his sides. "Jessamine!"

_I'm here... _She hushed, placing a hand on his twitching chest. The ghost of a hand rested there but she knew that he couldn't feel it, feel her fingers gripping desperately at his under-shirt. _Please Corvo, I'm here..._

_Mother? _A soft voice called out, causing Jessamine to turn her head quickly. Standing there with a childhood doll clutched tightly in her small hands was Emily. Her face was saddened, her eyes watching Corvo as she spoke again. _He's having another nightmare isn't he?_

_Emily, go and play with your dolls. _Jessamine ordered softly, making a shooing movement with her hand. Emily refused to budge and instead moved closer, lifting herself onto Corvo's bed. Jessamine made no effort to move her away and instead allowed her to stay; smiling sadly at her while Corvo continued to cry out.

_I had nightmares too Corvo, _Emily began, her voice slightly cracking. _But whenever I woke up, you were always there, always by my side trying to make me happy again. I'd forget about the nightmares and spend time with you, but then you had to go and when you came back, you were different. I was scared for you Corvo, and I'm still scared now._

"Emily..." The name passed through his lips like a blessing, his twitching ceased almost altogether. Jessamine smiled slightly as he calmed down, until a whine came from him. "Emily..."

_I don't want to be dead. Mother I don't want to be dead! _Emily cried, her head buried in her mother's chest. She could feel Emily sob into her as she heaved and hiccupped, a sigh released in Jessamine's chest. She waited until the crying stopped before looking at Emily, who was fast asleep in her arms. She waved her hand and almost immediately Emily disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the two grownups alone again.

"The heart..." Jessamine froze as Corvo spoke those two words, her eyes flashed over to the object resting on the desk. It wasn't fair, he tried so hard to get rid of the thing and free her. But in the end all he could do was sit there staring at it, spending hours on end listening to her voice talking to him. She could understand almost, in a way the Heart was the only remaining connection he had to her.

_..._

-f-

The morning came quickly for Corvo as he sat in his bed, his eyes half-open and lifeless. The bags underneath them enhanced his age and his hair was weak and limp on his head, making him look older than he truly was. The nightmare last night he could not remember, all he could remember was the soothing feeling on his chest and a soft voice speaking to him. He knew it was Jessamine, and then he heard Emily's voice too. What she said though broke his heart.

_I_ _had nightmares too..._

_You were always there..._

_I was scared for you Corvo, and I'm still scared now..._

"I never meant to scare you Emily, I'm sorry..." He apologized, placing his face in his hands. He felt the air change though, and before he could react Emily was sitting on the end of his bed. She was still wearing her normal clothes and a smile was on her face, her hair neatly parted on her forehead. Corvo tried his best to return the smile, but all that showed was a light grimace.

_Are you alright Corvo? Did you... did you have another nightmare? _She asked, worry covering her face. Corvo just nodded and moved out from underneath the blankets, sitting next to her.

"I did but I'm fine now." He smiled. Emily saw through the smile though, she knew he wasn't fine. She did not speak out though and instead enjoyed the silence in the room, it was not awkward or suffocating, it was the normal silence they had when Corvo was working. The silence carried on while he was getting dressed, while he ate a piece of bread and while he was shaving, Emily watching closely as the blade scrapped across his skin.

_Why did you leave Corvo? _The scrapping stopped. Corvo turned his head slightly and stared at Emily, half his face still covered in shaving foam.

"Dunwall has no leader Emily, it was doomed."

_But you could have saved it, _Emily continued, jumping off the bed and walked over to Corvo, holding his hand. _Couldn't you?_

"It isn't that simple."

_But why not?_

"Because there was no one left who could lead the city, the rat plague was too much and consumed everyone. It was too late to do anything." He explained, his hand not moving out of Emily's while he continued shaving. The little girl watched sadly while the scrapping resumed, the words he spoke circled around in her head.

_Would... would I have been a good Empress? Like Mother? _She asked just as he finished shaving. Corvo placed his razor down and turned to her, kneeling down so he was eye-level with her.

"You would have been a great Empress Emily, you just weren't given the chance to do so." He sighed.

_But why wasn't I? Why didn't I at least get a chance to prove myself? It's not fair! _Emily cried, placing her head against Corvo's. He felt nothing but air as he watched her cry, tears falling down her face but nothing hit the floor. He stood up and immediately, Emily rushed forward and hugged him.

_I don't want to be dead Corvo! I don't want to be dead! _She sobbed, her body shaking with each sob. Corvo was frozen, before willing his arms to wrap themselves around her. They fell through her and hit his stomach, his heart threatening to break with each sound she made.

"I know you don't Emily," He started, his voice cracking under the raw emotions. "But there is nothing I can do."

_It's not fair! _She sniffed, still hugging him as her crying ceased. Corvo watched as she exhausted herself, to the point where she couldn't keep her appearance up and disappeared. He was alone again, the sound of Emily's voice still ringing in his ears. He collapsed to the floor and cried out in frustration, his face in his hands again.

"I don't want to be alive..."

**This is shorter than the other one. Damn. So here you go, another chapter for this but it will be the last, so enjoy.**

**Don't forget to review!**


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